A coastal tower on the cape of the rocky beach of Pyrgos at the northeast edge of the west coast of Andros island.

History

After the 4th Crusade and the Fall of Constantinople in 1204, the Latins turned to other parts of the Byzantine empire. Andros was captured by the Venetians in 1207. Their leader was Marino Dandolo, a nephew of The Doge of Venice, Errico Dandolo, one of the heads of the 4th Crusade.

The Venetians built three major castles in Andros: the Lower Castle (the modern Chora), the Upper Castle (also known as Phaneromeni) and the fort of Makrotantalo (or Ostodosia). The first two were fortified settlements, while the third was a simple outpost, probably manned by a small garrison.

The fort of Makrotantalo, though being smaller in scale, bears strong resemblance to the Lower Castle, from a morphological and structural point of view. In earlier maps both castles were similarly depicted, with a round-arched stone bridge connecting them to the land.

The main castle was at the coast and nothing is left from it. It was already abandoned in the 15th century. The only remnant is this tower on the rock which might be a much younger (than the original castle) watchtower. The tower was used until the 17th century.

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